s saleshttp://www.skinet.com/skiing/taxonomy/term/15889/%252Ffeed
enSki People: Talking Shophttp://www.skinet.com/skiing/gear/boots/2005/03/ski-people-talking-shop?lnk=rss&loc=s-sales
<p>"Don lives and breathes skiing," says ski-racing legend Stein Eriksen, who's bought a lot of things from Thomas over the years-including, once, a Studebaker. Thomas' Sporthaus, which has served Detroit-area skiers for 51 years, is the oldest ski shop in America still operated by its founder. At 76, Thomas shows up every day and still "keeps track of everything that goes on in the sport," Eriksen says admiringly. After more than a half-century of working the floor, Thomas knows his way around the shop. His tips for avoiding retail hell: <br /><br /><b>Do your homework.</b><br /> Before you walk into a ski shop, read everything you can about what's available and determine the features that are most important to you. "It makes no sense to buy racing gear if you're going to cruise blues," Thomas says.<br /><br /><b>Look around. </b><br />When you enter a shop, notice whether gear is well-organized. In good shops, merchandise will be easy to find. "If the shop is a mess, with gear strewn all over, go somewhere else," he advises.<br /><br /><b>Ask questions. </b><br />Getting the right gear depends on a dialogue between the buyer and seller, so ask the salesperson questions. How much do you ski? Why does the shop carry a particular brand? How long have you worked here? "Salespeople who are the real deal will be eager to talk skiing," Thomas says. "Pretenders will tap dance."
</p><p> <b>Answer questions.</b><br /> A good salesperson will ask you things like what conditions you like, where you ski, what type of trails you prefer. Conversation reveals your ability and aspirations. The most common problem is getting "over-skied," or buying a ski that's more than you need. "'We sell a lot of these' is useless information," he warns. "You want something suited for you, not based on the shop's sales."
</p><p> <b>Mind your feet.</b><br /> "The easiest thing to sell is a ski boot that's too large; the most difficult thing to sell is a ski boot that's the right size." It's rare that a ski boot fits right out of the box. Good shops can customize boots with footbeds and adjustments. If your retailer only has you try on different sizes of the same boot, your chances of getting the correct boots are slim.
</p><p><b>Don't be fooled.</b><br /> There's a huge difference between technical skiwear and look-alikes. What looks good in a big-box store may perform miserably on snow. This is particularly true when it comes to layering. "If that fake ski jacket leaks and soaks your cotton long underwear, you've wasted your money, both on your outfit and your lift ticket," Thomas says.
</p><p><b>Ask about service.</b><br /> Good shops help you maintain your gear. Properly tuned skis perform dramatically better than untuned ones. Good shops want you to ski well so you'll come back. "If you ask about tunes and the salesperson's first thought is an iPod, find another shop."
</p><p>Sept. 2004</p>
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<a href="/skiing/gear/skis/2005/03/legacy-1938">Legacy: 1938</a> </div>
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<a href="/skiing/resorts/western-us/california/2005/03/review-solar-panel">Review: Solar Panel</a> </div>
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http://www.skinet.com/skiing/gear/boots/2005/03/ski-people-talking-shop#commentsbootsreal deals salesski bootsski racingski shopskiersstein eriksenBootsskiing8558http://www.skinet.com/skiing/files/skinetimages/skimag/content/images/Sept04/Ski0904peat.jpg42539Ski People
OLD MAN AND THE SKI <Br>Don Thomas stands tall in his shop, master of all he surveys.
http://www.skinet.com/skiing/Fall Line<p>"Don lives and breathes skiing," says ski-racing legend Stein Eriksen, who's bought a lot of things from Thomas over the years-including, once, a Studebaker. Thomas' Sporthaus, which has served Detroit-area skiers for 51 years, is the oldest ski shop in America still operated by its founder. At 76, Thomas shows up every day and still "keeps track of everything that goes on in the sport," Eriksen says admiringly. After more than a half-century of working the floor, Thomas knows his way around the shop. His tips for avoiding retail hell: <br /><br /><b>Do your homework.</b><br /> Before you walk into a ski shop, read everything you can about what's available and determine the features that are most important to you. "It makes no sense to buy racing gear if you're going to cruise blues," Thomas says.<br /><br /><b>Look around. </b><br />When you enter a shop, notice whether gear is well-organized. In good shops, merchandise will be easy to find. "If the shop is a mess, with gear strewn all over, go somewhere else," he advises.<br /><br /><b>Ask questions. </b><br />Getting the right gear depends on a dialogue between the buyer and seller, so ask the salesperson questions. How much do you ski? Why does the shop carry a particular brand? How long have you worked here? "Salespeople who are the real deal will be eager to talk skiing," Thomas says. "Pretenders will tap dance."
</p><p> <b>Answer questions.</b><br /> A good salesperson will ask you things like what conditions you like, where you ski, what type of trails you prefer. Conversation reveals your ability and aspirations. The most common problem is getting "over-skied," or buying a ski that's more than you need. "'We sell a lot of these' is useless information," he warns. "You want something suited for you, not based on the shop's sales."
</p><p> <b>Mind your feet.</b><br /> "The easiest thing to sell is a ski boot that's too large; the most difficult thing to sell is a ski boot that's the right size." It's rare that a ski boot fits right out of the box. Good shops can customize boots with footbeds and adjustments. If your retailer only has you try on different sizes of the same boot, your chances of getting the correct boots are slim.
</p><p><b>Don't be fooled.</b><br /> There's a huge difference between technical skiwear and look-alikes. What looks good in a big-box store may perform miserably on snow. This is particularly true when it comes to layering. "If that fake ski jacket leaks and soaks your cotton long underwear, you've wasted your money, both on your outfit and your lift ticket," Thomas says.
</p><p><b>Ask about service.</b><br /> Good shops help you maintain your gear. Properly tuned skis perform dramatically better than untuned ones. Good shops want you to ski well so you'll come back. "If you ask about tunes and the salesperson's first thought is an iPod, find another shop."
</p><p>Sept. 2004</p>
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<a href="/skiing/resorts/western-us/california/2005/03/review-solar-panel">Review: Solar Panel</a> </div>
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articleThu, 17 Mar 2005 09:05:00 +0000SkiNet Editor8558 at http://www.skinet.com/skiingBuried in Flameshttp://www.skinet.com/skiing/backcountry/destinations/2004/10/buried-in-flames?lnk=rss&loc=s-sales
<p>Outdoor gear is no stranger to civil service: Soldiers in Iraq drink from CamelBaks. Army Rangers wear SmartWool socks. W Helmets is crafting lids for Navy fighter pilots. And this season, Ortovox and Backcountry Access will introduce avalanche beacons to thousands of beneficiaries—firefighters. "We lose a lot of firemen because they get lost and run out of air, says Tom Connor, the Orange County, California, firefighter and Snow Summit volunteer ski patroller who saw the crossover potential of transceivers. "I thought, 'I'm a ski patroller. We use beacons in avalanches—why not use them in fires?' The idea had legs. Since avy beacons can transmit signals through concrete and steel, searchers can now pinpoint a lost firefighter's location before going into the chaos of a burning building, making rescues safer and quicker than the old hide-and-seek method. There's also talk of placing beacons in doorways on the way into a blaze, so that firefighters can find their way out when things get ugly.With more than 300,000 firefighters in the U.S., sales potential for the new beacons (Ortovox's is called the Rescuevox, BCA's is the Tracker FRT), which will go for around $425 apiece, is huge. "Manufacturers had this market under their noses and hadn't done anything about it, says Connor.That's good news for firefighters and manufacturers. But how will the changes help backcountry skiers? "The immediate benefit is durability, says Chris Clark of BCA, which is now housing some of its avy beacons in the new fireproof, virtually unbreakable casing. And, with any luck, more dollars coming from fire departments will mean bigger R&amp;D budgets: "The goal, says Clark, "is to use the profits from an expanded market to redefine avalanche-transceiver technology. </p>
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http://www.skinet.com/skiing/backcountry/destinations/2004/10/buried-in-flames#commentsDestinationsavalanchebackcountry skiings salesski patrollerskiing12501http://www.skinet.com/skiing/files/skinetimages/skiing/content/images/2004/oct04/coldfront/Skg1004cfdt.jpg52420Cold Front 1004http://www.skinet.com/skiing/Cold Front<p>Outdoor gear is no stranger to civil service: Soldiers in Iraq drink from CamelBaks. Army Rangers wear SmartWool socks. W Helmets is crafting lids for Navy fighter pilots. And this season, Ortovox and Backcountry Access will introduce avalanche beacons to thousands of beneficiaries—firefighters. "We lose a lot of firemen because they get lost and run out of air, says Tom Connor, the Orange County, California, firefighter and Snow Summit volunteer ski patroller who saw the crossover potential of transceivers. "I thought, 'I'm a ski patroller. We use beacons in avalanches—why not use them in fires?' The idea had legs. Since avy beacons can transmit signals through concrete and steel, searchers can now pinpoint a lost firefighter's location before going into the chaos of a burning building, making rescues safer and quicker than the old hide-and-seek method. There's also talk of placing beacons in doorways on the way into a blaze, so that firefighters can find their way out when things get ugly.With more than 300,000 firefighters in the U.S., sales potential for the new beacons (Ortovox's is called the Rescuevox, BCA's is the Tracker FRT), which will go for around $425 apiece, is huge. "Manufacturers had this market under their noses and hadn't done anything about it, says Connor.That's good news for firefighters and manufacturers. But how will the changes help backcountry skiers? "The immediate benefit is durability, says Chris Clark of BCA, which is now housing some of its avy beacons in the new fireproof, virtually unbreakable casing. And, with any luck, more dollars coming from fire departments will mean bigger R&amp;D budgets: "The goal, says Clark, "is to use the profits from an expanded market to redefine avalanche-transceiver technology. </p>
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articleWed, 13 Oct 2004 09:50:00 +0000SkiNet Editor12501 at http://www.skinet.com/skiingTime to Rallyhttp://www.skinet.com/skiing/resorts/rockies/wyoming/2004/02/time-to-rally?lnk=rss&loc=s-sales
<p>What do you call a flock of snot-beaked euro-twigs in Lycra huffing upslope on scrawny skis? Sounds like a bad joke, but it's ski-mountaineering racing, an 80-year-old sport that's coming across the Pond in a big way. </p><P>It's known as randonnée rallying here. Four years ago there was one North American race; now there are six. In addition to Life-Link's five-race series that opens in January at Whistler and wraps up in March at Jackson Hole, Black Diamond's Wasatch PowderKeg is a World Cup event in only its second year.</p><P>The sport is simple enough: Racers run to their skis, skin up 1,000 feet or more to a gate, ski down to another, and so on, until they've logged about 5,000 feet of vertical in and out of bounds. Elite racers finish in around two lung-busting hours. And while there are no restrictions against using telemark gear, to be competitive you need a lightweight, controllable, alpine-touring setup. "Tele skiers are getting clobbered," says Andrew McLean, who designed the PowderKeg course.</p><P>As it happens, the spike in rando racing is in synch with a booming AT market: In 2003, the online retailer BackcountryStore.com reported a 260 percent sales increase for the Scarpa Laser AT boot. Life-Link's sales of the Dynafit TLT Tristep binding were up 300 percent. And Backcountry Access, which began distributing the Swiss-made Naxo binding this past fall, said demand has been downright nutty. "We brought in a product that no one had seen, and we had to quadruple our first projection to meet demand," says sales manager Steve Christie. "It's like crack cocaine."</p><P> Despite the epidemic, don't expect North Americans to be whupping Euro-ass anytime soon. The schedule on the Continent includes more than 200 races, the biggest of which see as many as 2,300 competitors, and race programs routinely recruit top athletes. Exum guide Brendan O'Neill, who won the Life-Link series last year but got smoked by 20 minutes in the Jackson race by a Spaniard, thinks Yanks just have a different mentality. "My friends and I have always gotten into race mode with each other, but it's one of those deals where it's not cool to admit you're competitive." </p>
http://www.skinet.com/skiing/resorts/rockies/wyoming/2004/02/time-to-rally#commentsalpine touringandrew mcleanbackcountry skiingdynafitjackson holeo neills saleswasatchWyomingBootsskiing12523http://www.skinet.com/skiing/files/skinetimages/skiing/content/images/Jan04/coldFront/SKG0104cflt.jpg52176Time to Rally
photo by Carl Skoog.
http://www.skinet.com/skiing/Cold Front<p>What do you call a flock of snot-beaked euro-twigs in Lycra huffing upslope on scrawny skis? Sounds like a bad joke, but it's ski-mountaineering racing, an 80-year-old sport that's coming across the Pond in a big way. </p><P>It's known as randonnée rallying here. Four years ago there was one North American race; now there are six. In addition to Life-Link's five-race series that opens in January at Whistler and wraps up in March at Jackson Hole, Black Diamond's Wasatch PowderKeg is a World Cup event in only its second year.</p><P>The sport is simple enough: Racers run to their skis, skin up 1,000 feet or more to a gate, ski down to another, and so on, until they've logged about 5,000 feet of vertical in and out of bounds. Elite racers finish in around two lung-busting hours. And while there are no restrictions against using telemark gear, to be competitive you need a lightweight, controllable, alpine-touring setup. "Tele skiers are getting clobbered," says Andrew McLean, who designed the PowderKeg course.</p><P>As it happens, the spike in rando racing is in synch with a booming AT market: In 2003, the online retailer BackcountryStore.com reported a 260 percent sales increase for the Scarpa Laser AT boot. Life-Link's sales of the Dynafit TLT Tristep binding were up 300 percent. And Backcountry Access, which began distributing the Swiss-made Naxo binding this past fall, said demand has been downright nutty. "We brought in a product that no one had seen, and we had to quadruple our first projection to meet demand," says sales manager Steve Christie. "It's like crack cocaine."</p><P> Despite the epidemic, don't expect North Americans to be whupping Euro-ass anytime soon. The schedule on the Continent includes more than 200 races, the biggest of which see as many as 2,300 competitors, and race programs routinely recruit top athletes. Exum guide Brendan O'Neill, who won the Life-Link series last year but got smoked by 20 minutes in the Jackson race by a Spaniard, thinks Yanks just have a different mentality. "My friends and I have always gotten into race mode with each other, but it's one of those deals where it's not cool to admit you're competitive." </p>
articleWed, 18 Feb 2004 09:15:00 +0000SkiNet Editor12523 at http://www.skinet.com/skiing